Battle of Albuera

Overview

The Battle of Albuera was a battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French armée du Midi at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the frontier fortress-town of Badajoz, Spain.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Albuera was fought near the village of Albuera, roughly 20 kilometres south of Badajoz, as a mixed British, Spanish, and Portuguese corps under Beresford and Blake engaged elements of Soult's armée du Midi. The engagement was one of the costliest actions of the Peninsular War in proportion to forces engaged: Allied casualties reached between roughly 5,900 and 7,000 men, and French losses ran from approximately 5,900 to as many as 7,900. The battle was directly linked to the contest for Badajoz, a frontier fortress whose control was central to the strategic corridor between Spain and Portugal. The concentration of two senior French commanders, Soult and Girard, against an Allied force that still outnumbered them on paper underscores the operational pressure each side placed on the Badajoz approaches during this phase of the Peninsular campaign.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)